May Welcome to
here are key moments that make May special.
The school year is wrapping up. Calendars are filling with graduations, performances, and end-of-year moments that sneak up on you faster than expected. Summer plans are being made—some carefully mapped out, while others are still just ideas floating around in conversations. There’s a joyful anticipation in it all—a collective excitement about what’s next.
And here in the Carolinas, we get this brief, perfect stretch of weather—sunny and a little breezy, just before the humidity fully settles in. It’s a magical time you don’t fully appreciate until it’s gone.
It’s also the season of flowers.
The kind you pick up on your way to see someone you love, the kind displayed on kitchen counters and front porches, and those given in celebration, in gratitude, and in remembrance. Flowers have a beautiful way of conveying what we sometimes struggle to express in words— marking important moments in time.
With Mother’s Day, we celebrate the
women who shape our lives in countless ways—mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, mentors, friends—those who raise us, support us, and show up when it matters most. It’s a day that doesn’t fit into a single definition, and that’s what makes it so meaningful.
As someone who was adopted, it’s a celebration of the one who gave me life and the one who gave me love. I was also fortunate to grow up with a stepmother whom I cherished and learned so much from—three different roles, each deserving of respect, gratitude, and recognition.
My mom used to recite this poem to me often when I was little:
Not flesh of my flesh nor bone of my bone, but still miraculously my own. Never forget for a single minute, you grew not under my heart, but in it.
It’s a signature poem of the adoption experience, and it always made me feel special and gave me a profound sense of belonging.
Today, it serves as a reminder that motherhood isn’t defined by a single path, but by the depth of love it holds. As a mother
myself, I understand that love more completely. It’s the greatest gift—to bear witness to two incredible human beings and to walk alongside them as they grow.
Just a few weeks later, Memorial Day brings a different kind of reflection. It’s a time to honor those we’ve lost in service to our country and to recognize the families who carry that loss forward. It asks us, even briefly, to pause and remember.
In many ways, May holds both at once—celebration and reflection, joy and remembrance, presence and pause.
I hope you take advantage of this brief, beautiful window of time—savor the soft breezes, delight in making your summer plans, and lean into the moments that matter. Bring the flowers. Say thank you. Remember someone, and celebrate the people you love.
Welcome to May.
Warmly,
Lauren Platts Editor
Hickory Living Magazine
La Bella Donnas
Favorite Things EVENT 20 Year Celebration
Thursday, May 14th • 10AM-6PM
Stop in and celebrate with us! Enjoy refreshments, complimentary raffles and special event offers - including 20% off gift cards and $20 bonus gift cards. Introductory pricing for Obagi MagIQ dermal filler and Obagi NU-GEN Cellular Renewal Serum. Also, 20% off select sunscreens. Launch of Week Long Specials.
Receive a free gift with select purchases and design your own bouquet at our curated flower stem bar. Raise a glass of champagne with us as we celebrate 20 years!
Limited quantities available.
Celebrate Moms
Give Mom what she really wants!
A Gift Certificate from La Bella Donna that she can use at our promotional spring sale!
on the cover La Bella Donna
Clockwise: Starting at lower center – Tracey Bare, RN, and owner of La Bella Donna; Kim Castle, office manager; Dr. Lisa Caporossi, medical director; and Kim Amos, esthetician
Join
us as we
20 years of dedication
celebrate La Bella Donna Spa’s to enhancing natural beauty
By Allison Futterman | Photos by Shane Greene Photography
This month, La Bella Donna Spa will celebrate its 20-year anniversary. Over that time, owner/operator Tracey Bare has helped many people look and feel better about themselves. As a registered nurse for 34 years, Bare has a wide range of experience, including working in neurosurgery, case management, and travel nursing.
In 2004, as a mother of young children, she found herself needing more flexibility than traditional nursing offered. She began working for a physician who was providing laser skin services. For more than a year, Bare learned how lasers could effectively address and correct a multitude of skin conditions. In 2006, armed with a strong base of knowledge and a passion for helping people achieve better skin, she opened La Bella Donna Spa.
Tracey providing a menopause wellness consultation
Bare’s priority is to enhance each person’s natural beauty. She does not believe in a one-size-fits-all mindset or a highpressure approach. Rather, she ensures that clients receive the right treatment for their individual needs. Bare has a trained eye for identifying which treatments will provide the greatest improvements and prides herself on delivering safe, natural results.
While others in the industry favor dramatic, stark changes, Bare takes a more conservative approach. She does not want her clients to look like they have had obvious work done. “If you can point out that something’s been done, then I’m not doing my job right,” she says. “I want people to notice that my clients look great—refreshed and simply renewed—not like they’ve had anything done.”
on the cover
She has an impressive array of laser treatment services that improve skin in a variety of ways. Decreased pore size, diminishing brown spots, and improved skin texture and elasticity are just some of the positive changes laser treatments can accomplish.
At La Bella Donna, Bare provides laser treatments with little to no downtime. Clients are able to immediately enjoy impactful results and return to their daily lives without feeling selfconscious or needing time to heal.
La Bella Donna also offers injectables, including Botox, which can soften lines and help prevent wrinkles. They also offer a full line of dermal fillers. Over time, as gravity takes hold, we all lose some volume in our face. Fillers can help restore that natural volume while enhancing contours. Dermal fillers are
also used to plump lips, which has become an increasingly popular option among younger women. Bare serves a wide age range of clients, including some families where she has treated three generations of women.
Additionally, they offer a range of esthetic services, including dermaplaning, signature facials, and HydraFacials.
People have different esthetic needs, which change over time. That is why La Bella Donna offers combination treatment plans for varying age categories. By grouping together different modalities that work synergistically, greater results can be achieved. This is an area where experience truly sets La Bella Donna apart. With expertise in layering treatments effectively, they are able to deliver substantial, yet natural-looking, improvements.
The La Bella Donna team – “Cheers to 20 years!”
“Whether your goal is tightening or brightening, addressing tone or texture, maintaining already healthy skin, or remedying the effects of aging, La Bella Donna is there to help.”
While we often think of skincare in relation to the face, they also offer body treatment options, including hand, neck, and chest skin rejuvenation, fat reduction, and skin tightening. At La Bella Donna, every client receives customized care focused on their specific goals. They offer a $50 consultation, during which a personalized treatment plan is created based on a skin assessment and discussion of skincare concerns. The fee can be applied to a same-day or future treatment.
A unique service they offer, is their menopause wellness consultation. The hormonal changes associated with menopause can affect not only overall wellness but also the skin and body. This consultation includes a comprehensive discussion and personalized recommendations regarding treatment options.
Let’s not forget the men. Women are not the only ones pursuing skincare. La Bella Donna has many male clients as well. While their first visit is often prompted by the woman in their life who is already a client, they return when they see the results for themselves.
Whether your goal is tightening or brightening, addressing tone or texture, maintaining already healthy skin, or remedying the effects of aging, La Bella Donna is there to help.
To celebrate two decades of serving the Hickory community, La Bella Donna will host a “Favorite Things” event on May 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. There will be free raffles, food and drinks, and other goodies. They will also offer special discounts and surprises that day, along with a weeklong sale. They look forward to celebrating with their existing clients and welcoming new ones.
more
Bella Donna Spa
La
Pictured, top to bottom:
Kim Amos performs a HydraFacial treatment
Kim Castle scheduling an appointment
Tracey performs a DYE-VL laser treatment
spotlight business
By Abigail Smathers
With its mild climate, fertile soil, and rich biodiversity, North Carolina is one of the most ideal growing regions in the U.S. The Tar Heel State boasts a long growing season and year-round opportunities for planting. But just as these conditions make gardening easy to learn, their nuances make it difficult to master—and that’s where local expertise matters most.
Enter: Settlemyre Nursery.
Time-honored and home-grown.
No one knows Carolina greenery like a Carolina native. That’s why, for over 50 years, the Burke County community has relied on Settlemyre Nursery for its gardening and landscaping needs. Founded
in 1973, the nursery is a full-service, familyrun garden center that blends landscape design, carefully tended plants, and decades of know-how.
Third-generation owners Brandon and Michelle Settlemyre draw from decades of combined experience to bring lasting beauty to local homes and businesses. Guided by a legacy of excellence, they’re dedicated to providing only the healthiest, highest-quality plants.
“We pride ourselves not only on our customer service, but our knowledge,” says Beth Lane, the nursery’s garden center manager. “Our staff are experts on local plants and know what to recommend
based on our climate and conditions. We know what to grow, when to grow it, and how to make it thrive.”
As Certified NC Growers, Settlemyre Nursery tends a wide selection of trees, shrubs, and flowers, all grown right in Burke County. In addition to its grab-and-go plant selection, they also carry soil, mulch, stone, grass, fertilizer, pottery, and tools— everything a gardener might need to bring a yard to life.
Your Vision in Full Bloom
Settlemyre Nursery is more than just a green-thumb. In addition to plants, the nursery also specializes in landscaping. From sod installation and professional
Settlemyre’s Landscaping & Hardscaping Team working on a patio project.
Proudly Serving Lake James, Granite Falls, Hickory, and more!
Photos Courtesy Tyler Mckenzie from Settlemyre Nursery
Dedicated to Quality. Our team works hard to ensure every plant is healthy and ready for its new home.
planting to patios and water features, the team provides a variety of design and development services to transform outdoor spaces.
No matter the project, landscape design at Settlemyre Nursery is fully custom. From simple front yard facelifts to complex commercial projects, the nursery’s expert design team works closely with each client to craft a plan that fits their unique property, vision, and budget.
“The Sketch-n-Go package is our most popular,” says Beth. “It’s a one-step, sameday solution where we build a plan based on your home photos, plant preferences, and other basic information. For more hands-on projects, we provide in-depth, onsite consultation and property assessment to determine the best approach.”
Other options include scaled drawings and digital renderings for larger or more elaborate designs.
“All of our installations are performed by licensed landscaping contractors to ensure quality workmanship and compliance with state requirements,” Beth adds.
An Ever-Growing Commitment
Though Settlemyre Nursery began with a focus on woody ornamentals, it has expanded its offerings to include a wide variety of perennials, annuals, flowering bushes, ornamental grasses, fruit, and houseplants. As spring gives way to summer, fresh blooms are making their debut.
Not sure what will thrive in your yard? Stop by for a chat with our experts to take the guesswork out of gardening.
Right now, the nursery’s selection of annual flowers is at its peak, including zinnias, petunias, and geraniums, all of which thrive in the warm Carolina sun. They’re also featuring an assortment of flowering trees and shrubs.
However, the nursery’s fastest-growing offering isn’t in the plant category at all. “Installation has become a big part of what we do, and we’re continuing to expand our hardscape options, including patios, fire pits, and retaining walls,” says Beth. “Spring is a great time to plant, so we’re busy helping customers with landscape design to get ready for summer.”
Thanks to the nursery’s wide, year-round selection, each visit still feels fresh and engaging, with something new to discover in every season.
Rooted in Community
Settlemyre Nursery has long been a community cornerstone, serving visitors across the Western Carolinas and beyond. While it’s known for its friendly staff and family-first approach, the nursery is equally committed to supporting the people and places around it.
“From taking over the business from my dad in 2014 to today, I have been blessed to see so much growth and change. It is exciting to know how far we’ve come—and how far we can still go. We have exciting plans to offer more plant choices and help even more customers in the future. It’s so rewarding to grow and expand with the help of a great team, great plants, and a
Community and cultivation go hand-inhand. We’re here to share tips, tricks, and a love for all things local!
beautiful location to house everything. We have an amazing production crew growing the healthiest plants, a fantastic sales team that can design and problem-solve with our customers, and a dedicated installation crew to bring our designs to life,” shares owner Brandon Settlemyre.
Over the years, the nursery has donated plants and materials to nonprofits, helped beautify public spaces, and hosted field trips to educate local students on horticulture. Partnerships with community colleges offer more specialized, hands-on learning experiences, giving students a glimpse into professional nursery work and landscape design.
Through these efforts, the nursery has cultivated not just gardens, but relationships—sharing knowledge, inspiration, and a passion for plants.
Whether you’re starting your first garden or planning a major landscaping project, Settlemyre Nursery has what you need to bring your outdoor space to life. Stop by the nursery on Drexel Road, just off I-40, and see why generations have trusted Settlemyre Nursery to help their gardens thrive.
Settlemyre Nursery
1387 Drexel Rd, Valdese, NC 28690 (828) 874-0679 settlemyrenursery.com
Spring Hours: Wednesday–Friday: 8am–5:30pm Saturday: 8am–2pm Sunday–Tuesday: Closed
Your joints, your health, your recovery goals — every patient is different, and your care should reflect that. That’s why our robotic-assisted joint replacement offerings support surgical precision and a recovery plan built around your needs. This can mean less pain, a faster return to movement and a care experience that feels as individual as you are. Because above all, we specialize in you.
CALENDAR! MARK YOUR
Delight in all things beauty, wellness and health at the Hickory Women’s Expo.
Enjoying a free Friday night concert at The Sails Original Music Series.
Dancing the night away at The Sails Original Music Series.
Hickory Happenings
The Sails Original Music Series
May 1 & May 15 | 7 p.m.
Union Square (Under the Sails), Hickory
FREE Admission
Enjoy free Friday night concerts in downtown Hickory featuring The Get Right Band (May 1) and Flow Tribe (May 15). This all-ages series continues on Friday evenings in June and September, bringing a mix of funk, rock, and more to the heart of the city.
Hickory
Women’s Expo: Beauty, Wellness & Health
May 2 | 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Hickory Metro Convention Center, Hickory
Explore the latest in beauty, wellness, and health at this daylong expo featuring vendors, services, and resources focused on self-care and healthy living. It’s the ultimate destination to bring your mom, your daughter, or your best friends for a day of pampering, shopping, and inspiration. Tickets available at hickoryshows.com.
Spring into Summer
May 7 | 5–7 p.m.
Taft Broome Park, Hickory FREE Admission
Hosted by the City of Hickory and the Catawba County Partnership for Children, this summer kick-off event features informational booths, games, entertainment, giveaways, and free hot dogs—plus resources for camps, activities, and summer programs for kids.
What’s Cookin’?
Lemon Cake
with Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe by: Brittany Bolus, Cove & Kitchen | Photography by: Brittany Bolus
This lemon cake is rich, moist, and full of bright citrus flavor. Starting with a lemon cake mix, it bakes into a tender cake topped with smooth cream cheese frosting. It’s an easy, crowd-pleasing dessert everyone will enjoy!
Yield: 25 slices
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
INSTRUCTIONS:
For the Lemon Cake Layers:
Preheat & Prep:
INGREDIENTS:
Lemon Cake Layers
1 box lemon cake mix
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs (room temperature)
1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted)
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
7 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2–3/4 cup heavy whipping cream or milk
About the Baker
Brittany is a stay-at-home mom of three and the creator behind Cove & Kitchen, a blog focused on approachable cookies, cakes, and desserts for everyday kitchens.
Instagram: @coveandkitchen
Facebook: @coveandkitchen
Website: www.coveandkitchen.com
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare four 6-inch cake pans or three 8-inch cake pans with baking spray or homemade pan release. You can also use parchment paper rounds on the bottoms of the pans for extra insurance.
Melt Butter:
In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter in 15–30 second intervals until completely melted. Set aside.
Wet Ingredients:
Measure the sour cream and milk into a small microwave-safe bowl. If not already at room temperature, microwave for about 30 seconds. Set aside.
Eggs:
If the eggs are not at room temperature, place them (in shells) in a bowl of warm water for 5–10 minutes. Crack into a separate bowl and set aside.
Dry Ingredients:
Add the flour, sugar, lemon cake mix, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk or stir gently to combine.
One Bowl:
Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients, including the vegetable oil, lemon extract, and vanilla extract.
Mix It Up:
Mix with an electric hand mixer, starting on low speed and increasing to mediumhigh. Scrape the bowl as needed. Mix until the batter is smooth and fluffy, about 1–2 minutes.
Pour Into Pans:
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. For best results, use a food scale for even layers.
Bake:
Bake for 30–32 minutes for 6-inch pans or 28–30 minutes for 8-inch pans. Insert a toothpick or knife into the center—if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it’s done. You can also gently press the top; if it springs back slowly, it’s ready.
Cooling:
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage:
Double-wrap cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to decorate, frost straight from frozen—no need to thaw.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
Whip the Butter:
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute, scraping the bowl at least once.
Vanilla & Salt:
Add the vanilla extract and salt. Start Heavy Cream: Add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until incorporated. Scrape the bowl.
Powdered Sugar:
Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar in 1–2 cup increments. Add a tablespoon of heavy cream or milk between additions.
Mix It Up:
Increase the mixer speed slightly to blend.
Reminder:
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is fully incorporated and smooth.
Last Step:
Mix on low to medium speed until smooth and creamy. This may take a few minutes.
